The fights are a good illustration of how one-on-one tactics do not withstand a move to a situation with multiple enemies.

We do things like this in my dojo all the time and it’s very important for practising a broad external attentional style (as opposed to the narrow external attention style most suited for one-on-one situations) and to ensure the choice and application of the right tactics.

We also do things like 4 vs 3 vs 2 vs 1 as well as two bigger teams. You also have to focus on protecting team mates as well as isolating members of the opposing team from the crowd … something the single person does not have to worry about; so even though they are effectively taking on everyone else, keeping moving and focused on evasion and escape makes it tactically less complex.

You also never see the person on the ground do well when facing two or more. Mobility is massively reduced and you’re a sitting duck to everyone not immediately engaged with you. A kicking (as you see here) is invariably what happens. Which further underlines the need to avoid the ground outside of the one-on-one context.

Thanks for sharing that! I had no idea it was still going. We had discussion around this a year or so ago:

sorry, in my defence I have just moved out of china where I couldn't get youtube often

I agree that the change in dynamic completely changes the fight. There is no squaring off or wearing people down to get a submission, yet this is still done in a sporting context.

i have seen some people saying this is totally against budo. 2 thing spring to mind on this budo is the way if war, is this not exactly what we are meant to be practicing at one level of the art at least?

We also do uneven and group fights in my gym. Really changes peoples opinions, especially the people who are always trying to " soften people up with jabs"

Man, that's just not right. Once the Russian side was down in numbers, it was open season. That's a good way to get guys killed. (I'm more than a little iffy on the morality of MMA generally, so take my opinion in that light.)

Man, that's just not right. Once the Russian side was down in numbers, it was open season. That's a good way to get guys killed. (I'm more than a little iffy on the morality of MMA generally, so take my opinion in that light.)

For me, I’m generally morally OK with it. It’s a matter of personal choice for participants and spectators. However, there’s a moral restorability on promotors / organisers too … and I’d suggest that allowing head kicks to a downed participant (from multiple people to boot) is a death waiting to happen.

While I have no fundamental moral objection, I can’t see it catching on as a legitimate sub-section of MMA. It’s boring to watch. It’s all over very quickly with too much going on at once. This results in a lack of “suspense / drama” that you normally associate with combat sports.

It’s a good illustration of how multiple enemies – which is very common in self-protection – require a change in tactics, but beyond that it holds little for me as a sport. It’s also a kind of drill we should all be including (but with far greater safety considerations than we see here).